It is known as Shakyamuni, or Siddhartha Gautama, but it is often called the Buddha. Many stories and legends surround his life and even today, orientalists struggle to unravel the reality of the myth. These legends, they have been told for hundreds of years. In Asian art, we find the different episodes of his life on paintings on fabric called thangka. As meditation media, thangka are also used by storytellers and poets who tell the story of the Buddha.
In 1913, Alexandra David-Neel follows in the footsteps of the historical Buddha, in order to see for herself the landscapes he contemplated during his life, in the 6th century BC. The temporary exhibition "The life of the Buddha" was created in partnership with the Musée national des arts asiatiques-Guimet. It is an opportunity to discover the legend of the founder of Buddhism and Alexandra David-Neel’s research on this historical figure.
Throughout these two days dedicated to Heritage, we invite you to immerse yourself in the history of the Buddha and to listen, surrounded by colorful paintings that illustrate his life, the different episodes of his legendary journey.